Vintage Chinese Storage Barrel

Were the Chinoiserie lovers out there eagerly awaiting the One Kings Lane Shops China sale like I was? I saw this image on Tuesday and boy did it peak my interest...

In particular that stool. THAT STOOL.

I diligently watched the clock to strike 11 am on Wednesday because I had to check out the stool. I was fully expecting it to cost more than Ana Claire's college education but I wanted to live the dream, if only for a moment.

I watched the page refresh at 11, scrolled to the stool, and clicked Add to Cart - before my brain even processed the price...a girl's gotta be frisky on OKL. So now that I had my 10 minutes to ponder, I realized that the stool was $169! A number within the realm of possibility for me. In fact, for the same price, I had recently bought some new clothes at Target so I vowed to return it all in exchange for the stool. WHO NEEDS CLOTHES?? Done and done.

And, it's not a stool...it's a storage barrel. Which I liked even more because it's functional. Thinking it might be a lovely house for my fabric rolls (without the top).

So, if you saw and loved this barrel and were wondering whose fingers were nimble enough to click their mouse first....mine were!!

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Setting the Buffet

Yesterday's post about lamps that would go great on a sideboard reminded me of Southern Living's recent infographic that cleverly educates us on how to properly set a buffet table. One day, I shall have a long gorgeous sideboard in my dining room that will necessitate this information. Until then, it has some great pointers that I can use on my kitchen counters - the current location of my buffets.

Image by Becky Luigart-Stayner via Southern Living

There are some smart tidbits here...like leaving utensils last (even though you are prone to place them with the plates), varying dish heights and leaving low-supply items toward the end.

Slightly off topic, but One Kings Lane has some awesome cocktail napkins at the moment...but hurry because the sale closes this morning! (I know, not so helpful when you only have a couple of hours to snag them)

You can never have too many cocktail napkins.

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Jenna Stacked Ball Lamps

I have recently discovered that Overstock.com has majorly stepped up their game when it comes to colorful lamps. They have a TON that usually comes in a set of 2 for a fantastic price (and usually free shipping).

My newest favorite is the Jenna Stacked Ball lamp that comes in a set of 2 for about $150-$190 for the set, depending on color. 

LOVE. And two for under $200! That is such a good deal and they come in a variety of lovely, sophisticated colors. My favorite application for these would be as buffet lamps. Their height and skinny profile would work well flanking a sideboard in a dining room.

Check out the color options here...

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The Four Seasons of Buck House

Do you remember this post I did a while back about the lovely interior vignettes created by artist Deborah Buck of NYC antique and art shop Buck House? Well Deborah has compiled her collection of creative morsels into a book - The Four Seasons of Buck House.

The composition of items, the varying colors, the interesting textures all combine to create snapshots of eye candy. I love the inspiration these little arrangements can provide. And we all know that putting together a little vignette atop a console table or bookshelf can be challenging. This book will certainly provide a little how-to direction.

Purchase it here...

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Yowza

Woah. This vintage dining set has caught my eye. It's suede and brass (he-llo) and it's available in the Aerin Lauder sale on OKL right now...

The set costs a cool $11,000. We can all dream...(or promptly do a search on Craigslist for "vintage brass suede dining chairs set")

If you bought this set of chairs...what kind of table would you pair them with???

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Another Mongolian Lamb Stool Option

I think we are all enjoying the Mongolian lamb stool DIY craze. Or maybe you haven't seen it, but you love a good furry upholstered piece, like so:

Design by Shari Markbreiter of MH Studio, image via The Zhush

I think I prefer the warm, global use of these furry pieces like the image above. The girly, frou-frou take on it is cute in the right context...but if I did this DIY, I would opt for pairing the texture with warm wood. And I found two good contenders to create the project.

First up is this barrel stool. I have a very similar piece in my living room in all white that I bought about four years ago and it's one of my favorites.

Price is great at $86 (and free shipping) and I bet that top is a cinch to screw off and recover. 

Next, I found this faux-fur Mongolian pillow for only $17 for an 18-inch pillow! It's hard to find high-pile faux-fur fabric for that price for one yard. And most pillows are kinda pricey so finding this one put this DIY on my map.

The stool measures 15.75" in diameter...which I'm thinking is at the widest point so the "seat" portion is probably a little smaller than that, making an 18" piece of fabric workable...I think. The only thing with the pillow is that I believe it is an actual pillow, not a cover, so you'll need to do a little deconstruction to get at the fabric. 

So, have you tried your own spin on this DIY? Do you like this combo? I know I love that stool...would be great with any fabric.

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Friday Crush

My sweet Ana Claire was 3 months old on Wednesday! She has graduated Newborn Town and entered Babyville...and she is so much fun to interact with now. The smiles, giggles and coos are priceless.

And today is my last day of maternity leave :( So sad but so thankful that I was able to spend every minute with this nugget as she spent her first months growing into the sweet little baby that she is now. I have the great fortune that I love my job and work for a wonderful and family-friendly (read: flexible) company so I am by no means dreading going back...but it's still terribly difficult to be away from your baby on a regular basis.

I'm finding that about 3 blog posts a week is good for me right now (this week was technically two). We'll see if once I get back to a structured schedule I'll feel that I can get back to posting daily. But I also know that non-work hours will also be exclusive AC time. But being back to blogging has been WONDERFUL!

There is a squirmy baby in my arms so I'll wrap up the rambling. Happy weekend!! See you next week.

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Catalog Pick: Victor Armchair

I'm typically not one for modern lines in furniture, but I'm completely charmed by West Elm's Victor Armchair in this stunner of a print from designer Sarah Campbell:

I've come to realize that green is my absolute favorite color to use in interiors and I love the mix of shades in this chair...and the pattern has a bit of a Hot House Flowers quality to it. The modern wingback silhouette totally works for me...keeps the pattern feeling young and vibrant.

What do you think?

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Ginger Brewton Interiors

I'm sure I've come across the work of Charleston-based designer Ginger Brewton many times but I recently focused in on her talent when a press release from Coastal Living caught my eye. The magazine's next showhouse will be on Daniel Island in South Carolina. The island is right outside of Charleston and home to my sister-in-law, her husband and my nephews.

From the location alone, I'm sure the house will be a stunner but once I looked over Ginger's portfolio...well, I can't wait to see the finished product. Take a look at this home she designed on Kiawah Island:

All photos by Denman Bennett via gingerbrewtoninteriors.com

You gasped at the first photo, right? An antique mint green settee paired with modern raspberry red trellis paper...and the buttons on the settee pick up the red in the wall. Gorgeous. And don't you want to see what fabulous bird is depicted in that print?

Check out more of Ginger's work here...and stay tuned to Coastal Living for a reveal of the showhouse in its October issue. If you are in South Carolina, the showhouse starts tours at the end of June.

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Friday Crush

A glorious bedroom from Katie Rosenfeld. L-O-V-E everything Katie touches and this space is no exception. The Chinoiserie bed is obvious perfection and that lavender Chesterfield sofa is beyond words. But my favorite...my FAVORITE...is the color of those lamps. Wow...like a creamy celadon. And notice that this room is so layered in its colors, pattern and accessories that the need for wall art is non-existent.

Hope you have a fantastic weekend...see you next week!

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Catalog Pick: Bamboo Bar Cart

I am thrilled that a retailer has finally produced a lovely, traditional bamboo bar cart. Check out the Jill Bar Cart from Ballard Designs:

I know there are some cool bar carts out there (like the ones from Society Social)...but some feel a bit too hip for me. I love that Ballard's bar cart is so classic with it's clean lines and brassy finish. The price point is about right at $350...a little pricey, but not crazily so. Especially since, like I've said, the piece is traditional and will last forever in your home.

This one is most similar to the one that I have...a vintage piece that is a hand-me-down from my mother-in-law that I LOVE...and I can't imagine getting rid of it anytime soon.

Cruddy pic, but great bar cart! If you've been in the market for a classic cart, I would jump on the Jill!

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Spring Origami Wreaths

We are apparently getting our one-and-only snowstorm of the winter sometime tonight or tomorrow. Even so, Spring blooms are on my mind and I found the most lovely Spring accessory on Etsy. Have you SEEN these breathtaking paper origami wreaths on Etsy from shop Lustine?

Woah. So, so beautiful right? I love all the color and dimension. One of these would be the most lovely accessory if you were throwing a Spring luncheon (don't we all throw Spring luncheons?) Hang some of these on windows from ribbons...or on a pair of french doors leading into your dining room. Or even lay one in the center of your table as a centerpiece.

The burst of color in these wreaths has me so inspired. Do you like them?

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Friday Crush

Loved this photo from Meg Braff Interiors that I spotted on Facebook. Wouldn't you just love to sift through all of those wallpaper samples and then walk away with that ginger jar? I definitely would.

So my blog has been getting S-L-A-M-M-E-D with spam comments lately. It used to not be a big deal and I would just pop in and delete them every once in a while...but now I'm getting like 50 a day. No thanks. So I put up the word verification on comments...I know - SO annoying. Ugh. Sorry about that...I may take it off again after a while. I just needed a spam break. But I still love every single comment that comes in, so hope it doesn't discourage you.

Have a fabulous weekend...see you next week!

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